Ann Arbor council member won't recite Pledge of Allegiance

ANN ARBOR, MI - At the start of every Ann Arbor City Council meeting, all 11 members stand for a moment of silence.

Others in the room join.

They then turn to face the American flag, place their right hands over their hearts and recite the Pledge of Allegiance of the United States.

That is, all but one of them.

Sumi Kailasapathy, D-1st Ward, stands silent, often with her head down, facing toward the people in the audience.

For her, it's a meditative moment.

She said she hasn't recited the pledge since she joined council in 2012, doesn't plan to in the future, and it's in no way intended to show disrespect.

"I love this country passionately, and I love the democracy and I'll do anything for that, but it cannot be reduced to just standing up and taking an oath. I think that really narrows it," said the Sri Lanka native who came to the U.S. about 26 years ago on a student visa and became a citizen in her early 30s.

She's turning 50 next week.

"I think we all should take allegiance to be international citizens, to care about humanity and fight against racism, bigotry and things like that," she said. "This construct of nation state is so archaic. I mean, it's falling apart."

Kailasapathy earned a degree in economics and political science from Wellesley College and a master's degree in political science from the New School for Social Research in New York before moving to Michigan in 1997.

She taught courses in gender studies, international political economy and globalization at Eastern Michigan University from 1997 to 2007 before transitioning into a career as an accountant.

"I mean, I've done political science and political economy, so I understand the modern construct of the nation state and the flag and all that comes with nationalism," Kailasapathy said. "I'm not big into nation state because I myself am from another country. I was a refugee in another country. I went to school here part of the time. I taught in Hong Kong. I consider myself an international citizen, and also I feel countries and government can create mistakes, so having allegiance to humanity and people and honesty, truth and all that good stuff is more important than just a mere flag. So for me, I think it's symbolic."

While she doesn't recite the pledge, Kailasapathy said she always stands to show respect and she faces the audience because she doesn't want to turn her back to the people. In discussing why she doesn't recite the pledge, she also mentions what she considers some of the country's mistakes, such as the Vietnam War.

"So that's my position on it," she said. "And this in no way undermines my love for this country and being a good citizen. Running for office and doing this, I mean, I have a full-time job and younger kids, and yet I do this. That shows my love for this country and my appreciation for what the country has done to me.

"So not taking an oath to the flag doesn't mean I don't love the country. I love it very much, and that's why I ask for transparency, accountability, and I don't go with the herd. I always ask the tough questions. That's because I love this country, so I don't think one should be judged by whether one takes an oath to the flag."

Different council members have taken their own approaches to reciting the pledge over the years. Some have skipped the part where it says "under God," and former 1st Ward reps Sabra Briere and Sandi Smith used to end the pledge by saying "with liberty and justice for some," instead of "for all," in recognition that not everyone in the U.S. is treated equally.